1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coordinate measuring device, and to a method and program for using gestures to control the coordinate measuring device. In particular, the present invention relates to a coordinate measuring device having an articulated arm, and to a method and program for using gestures to control the coordinate measuring device having the articulated arm.
2. Description of Related Art
A coordinate measuring device is known which uses an articulated arm and a measuring probe that allow direct manual movement by a measuring operator to obtain a three-dimensional coordinate value for a desired point on a work piece and perform measurement of a three-dimensional shape, a surface texture, and the like of the work piece.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2007-047014 discloses a coordinate measuring device that includes an articulated arm with a measuring probe retained in a forefront end thereof. The coordinate measuring device has an angle sensor installed at each joint and computes spatial coordinates of a forefront end of the probe based on a rotation angle of each joint detected by the angle sensors and a length between arm joint and arm joint, between arm joint and probe, and the like. An operator places a hand directly on the articulated arm and brings the probe retained in the forefront end of the articulated arm into contact with a surface of a work piece, then measures the work piece.
The coordinate measuring device of this kind is generally connected to a control device such as a PC (Personal Computer) located at a distance from the device. Control software, which runs on the PC, is capable of outputting a plurality of menus to a display device, and can receive an operation by the operator selecting one of the menus, then can execute various functions such as measurement, saving measured data, making various settings, and the like according to the menu selected.
This kind of menu selection operation is required even when the operator is in the midst of executing a measurement. In such a case, the measuring operator must move from a vicinity of the coordinate measuring device to a vicinity of the PC.
In order to address this circumstance, a method (hereafter, an arm menu) can be imagined in which, for example, a menu is displayed large enough to be visible to an operator even from a vicinity of a coordinate measuring device, and in which one among a plurality of menus is displayed highlighted in response to an up-down movement of the arm and the like, and the highlighted menu can be selected in response to operation of a button provided in the vicinity of a probe and the like (see FIG. 5). Thereby, the operator can execute the menu selection operation without moving away from the coordinate measuring device.
However, the following circumstances are present in the above-noted arm menu. First, the menu selection operation cannot be executed during execution of the measurement. This is because the control device cannot distinguish whether a gesture of the arm is an operation for measurement or an operation for menu selection. Thus, in order to perform the menu selection operation, the operator must interrupt execution of the measurement.
In addition, in the above-noted arm menu, when the operator wishes to repeatedly select the same menu in order to repeatedly execute the same function, the same series of menu selection operations must be repeatedly performed. Therefore, time and effort for the menu selection operation increases.
Further, in the above-noted arm menu, the menu is always displayed on a screen at a large size, and thus an area for display of data such as measurement results may be constricted, for example.
In addition, in the above-noted arm menu, in order to select a menu, the arm must be moved up and down. Therefore, selection takes time, or there is a significant physical burden on the operator and, moreover, when moving the arm, there is a possibility that the arm may strike a measurement environment (a person or work piece nearby) or the like and negatively affect safety.